Zen Tea

Oh man, I needed this. I’ve been going and going all day. It’s nice to finally sit down with some tea and catch up on what everyone else has in their cups.

There is a lot of vanilla in this cup. Way more than usual. This is in no way a complaint. In fact, I’m really liking it. There’s still a good amount of bergamot as well, but it’s definitely vanilla heavy. Regardless, it’s delicious, and I’m hoping it’ll help keep me awake because I still have quite a bit to get accomplished tonight. Eventually. Right now it’s still tea time.

Today is our annual gingerbread house building, so I’m sipping on this while cutting out templates and doing some other prep work. My kids have been decorating houses for eight years now, and it’s a lot of fun to see how their houses change from year to year.

There’s not much for me to say about this tea that I haven’t said before. It’s still my favorite Earl Grey Cream. It’s kinda like Marry Poppins, practically perfect in every way. :)

First tea of the morning. I haven’t had this tea in a couple of months, so having it in my cup again was like coming home. It’s such a delightful blend of the classic Earl Grey and vanilla. The bergamot is strong, but it doesn’t overpower the tea, and the vanilla adds a wonderful creamy note throughout. I was wondering if I’d still be over the moon about this tea while it was brewing, and the answer is yes. This is my perfect EGC.

Another reason I’m happy to have this back in my cup is for the caffeine and the comfort. I’m gearing up for Thanksgiving with my family (cooking and cleaning and baking, oh my!), and I’m also baking pies for friends and working on several special orders that I’ve received. I have never had this many orders to crochet before Christmas, and while I’m thrilled that my business is gaining some momentum I’m also staying incredibly busy. So I think my tea cup will full for the next few weeks!

A quiet Sunday afternoon, nice cool weather, and a cup of EGC. I am in my glory. Still far and away my favorite Earl Grey. I love the vanilla in this tea.

I’ve written a bazillion notes on this tea, so let me just say that I’m still drinking it and every mug is wonderful. Amen.

We have been working on some major home renovations for over nine months now, and quite honestly, I’m ready to be done. This weekend I’m hoping to get a lot done, so tonight I’ll be staying up waaaay past my bedtime to do the prep work. Ugh. Since I have to be awake I thought I’d drink my favorite EGC. I almost never drink this tea late in the day, so it does feel a bit like a treat.

Today I found out that my best friend is moving to another state. I am happy for her and her family,(wonderful job opportunity!) but I’m sad she won’t be within walking distance anymore. Needless to say, I wanted some comfort, and without hesitation I turned to my trusted EGC. Tonight it’s soothing and steady. Just what I need.

Another “have to have” tea for me. I tried it iced for the first time, and while it was good I like it more hot. The wonderful bergamot and vanilla flavors become muted when it’s iced. They’re still there, but – blah.

As a hot tea this is easily my favorite EGC, so I’ll save this one for my mug and find a different EG for my iced tea glass.

It’s actually been months since I’ve had this tea. I went from drinking it pretty much every day in the winter and spring to not drinking it at all. Maybe it’s because this evening was rainy and cool, but I decided I had to have a cup of EGC.

I’m still head over heels about this tea. For me it’s the perfect blend of tea, bergamot, and vanilla. I’ve bought a few other EGs, but I keep coming back to this one. It’s well balanced, smooth, and there’s no funky aftertaste. Plus, it resteeps well.

Speaking of buying… my stash of this is incredibly low. I was trying not to buy tea until September, but since zentealife is having a sale I’m breaking down and stocking up now. When I told my husband he kissed me and said I made a valiant effort at reducing my stash. :) I don’t know if I’d call it valiant, but it has been tasty.

Updating from the last few days. I’ve taken to making this by the pot rather than the cup. It saves time, and while I prefer to drink this hot I like to iced, too. If I get distracted and my tea cools I just pour it over ice and go about my day.

Cups:57

We have started a major house renovation due to some damage that occurred way back in October, so I have not been able to log much of what I have been drinking lately. This EG is the only tea I have kept track of, but hopefully I can write more reviews soon. For this tea I kept a tally sheet on my fridge for the last few days. My husband and the contractor might think I went around the bend. :)

The idea of everything that needs to happen (I currently am walking on the sub-floor, have no lower cabinets, counter tops, a sink, or dishwasher in my kitchen) is overwhelming, so I’ve been drinking lots and lots of this tea. In fact, I need to place an order because last night I actually saw the bottom of my jar. Yes, there was a moment of panic. Reorder will be made today!

Before we started this re-do I decided to host a tea party for my friends when everything is over. It will be a fun way to show off my new space, and a way to say thank you because all these ladies have heard me talk about lately is paint colors and the cost/benefits of tile vs. wood flooring. When I do have the party this tea will definitely be on the menu. Then I can treat it with all of the daintiness and fun it deserves. Right now it is yet another friend that reminds me that at the end of all of this noise and worry will be (hopefully) something that I love.

(My earlier reviews have my thoughts on the tea itself)

Cups: 36

My morning pot. Drinking this while getting ready for church and tending to my son who is feeling under the weather. Right now I am very thankful for caffeine, especially when it is delivered in such a tasty tea.

Cups:16

Another insanely busy (but good!) day. Today is my son’s birthday, and between his class party and our own little family party I am tuckered out. He had a great day and is now happily playing with his new loot. That means I have time for a cup of tea. I didn’t even consider making anything else. The black tea, the bergamot, the vanilla… it’s perfect. And if I happen to have a piece of birthday cake with it, well that’s even better.

Cups: 11

Oh, sweet nectar of the gods! I have been thinking about this tea all day. All. Day. The only cup of tea I had today was early this morning. That’s not sufficient tea consumption for this girl! I’ve been craving a cup of this EG since 9am (it’s close to midnight here), and sitting down with it now feels like a true gift. A great way to unwind after a day of going, going, going.

I am going to drink a couple of cups of this and then tumble into bed. Even the caffeine won’t be able to keep me awake at this point.

Cups:9

Made myself a cup before going to church this morning. Perfect for sipping on the drive there. I was a few minutes late getting there because a friend of mine said she was looking for new herbal and fruity teas, so I made her a big bag of samples to try. Yay for sharing the tea love!

Cups:7

In an attempt to delay my afternoon chores, I made myself a cuppa. My husband and daughter went to see a zombie flick, and my son is happily playing in his room. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a quiet house and a cup of Earl Grey.

But alas, the laundry beckons.

Cups:6

Backlogging. I’m using the month of February to track how often I drink this tea since it is undeniably the tea I drink the most. More for my own curiosity than anything else. I’m counting resteeps as their own cup, but I won’t write a separate entry for them. Total cups consumed so far will be at the bottom of the page.

Yesterday started off great but ended horribly. Bah. So, while the day was going along swimmingly I made myself a cup of this and resteeped it once because this is a happy tea. Then, when everything blew up in my face last night I made myself another cup (which I also resteeped) because this tea is comfort in a cup. Hopefully today will be better.

Cups: 4

I think I am going to track how often I drink this tea during a month. It is easily the tea I drink most often, but I’ve only logged it here a few times. Part of me is afraid to face my massive Earl-Grey-tea-drinking addiction, but my curiosity is greater than my fear. Maybe I was a cat in a former life. :)

The tea. As always, wonderful bergamot vanilla-y goodness. I can resteep this tea once and get a good flavor. Not quite as intense as the first cup, but still perfectly enjoyable.

Well, 2013 has been kicking my butt so far. I was down with the flu for most of last week, but I think I can safely say I’m on the mend. My celebratory cup of tea had to be this Earl Grey. I know I’ve raved about this before, but Zen Tea has done an amazing job of choosing a high quality vanilla and mixing it with the bergamot. Love it.

My morning cup, and my favorite Earl Grey to date. This is so well blended. The bergamot and vanilla are excellent together. It’s warm and comforting which is just what I need today.

Used the last of my sample this morning. This tea is on the top of my to-order list. Delicious, comforting, wonderful tea!

Thank you Zen Tea for this sample!

This tea is fabulous. When I opened the bag I was struck by the fact that the tea smelled creamy. There was the classic Earl Grey scent, of course, but the vanilla was present in a very pleasing way. The dry leaves with the blue cornflowers are also very pretty , which I appreciated.

I really like this tea because it is well balanced. The bergamot is not over done, and the vanilla blends in with the other flavors beautifully. In the past I have stayed away from Earl Grey Creams because the vanilla usually taste fake. Not here. It is smooth, and there is no weird artificial aftertaste. Yay! Half way through the cup I added a bit of sugar which intensified both the bergamot and the vanilla a little more. I expected it to play up the vanilla, but the flavors stayed in balance. The tea is exceptionally creamy and taste like a treat. A cup of this tea, a blanket, and good mystery novel would make me a very happy girl!

Thanks again Zen Tea. Your tea is lovely!

So this tea re-steeps better than I expected it to! Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised seeing as the flavor is so strong. STILL DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVORITE TEAS!

Backlogging a bit; I’m trying to decide which Genmaicha is my favorite between Zen Tea and Adagio! They both have a slightly different tastes and very different brewing times. I think I’m leaning a bit towards the Zen Tea but it’s a hard choice!